Releasable lever operated switch



1949- c. E. ELRICK RELEASABLE LEVER OPERATED SWITCH Filed May 10, 1946rim Feb. 1, in,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,480,495 RELEASABLE LEVER OPERATED SWITCHCharles E. Elrick, Frostburg, Md. Application May 10, 1946, Serial No.868,706

The present invention relates to automatic switches for outlet boxes,and is more particularly concerned with a switch and outlet boxconstructed to be energized at a predetermined time or upon thehappening of an event.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an alarm switch whichis constructed to be operated automatically by an independent agency,such as an alarm clock, an opened door or an opened window.

A further object of theinvention is to provide an automatic switch ofsimpler and more compact construction than alarm switches in priordevices.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages 'in view theinvention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiments ofthe invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device, partly in section, aspositioned to be operated by an alarm clock.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof with the switch box shown inhorizontal section.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan of the wiring circuits between thecomponents of the device.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan of wiring for use with a plurality ofoutlet boxes.

Figue 5 is a wiring plan for either a make or break device.

Like numerals, as used in the description and drawings designate thesame structural parts.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, 0 represents any. type or alarm clockhaving a winged winder on the exterior end of the alarm-spring stem orspindle.

The switch is housed in a box il' mounted on a base II and mounted onthe same base adjacent to the switch box is an outlet box l2, withsockets for attachment 01' an electric appliance to be activated. Thisbox may be of any suitable type with interior posts I3 and I4 wired to aplug ll designed to be inserted in a socket fixture, such as an electriclamp socket or wall sockets. The wire from post It is directly connectedto plug I! while the wire from post id is connected to the switch.

The automatic switch comprises two contact bars I! and I! which arefixed at one end to posts serving as terminals. The other ends areprovided with contact points. As shown in the wiring plan in Figure 3,the circuit wire from post ll of the outlet box is connected to the postof contact member I! and the circuit wires from the 1 Claim. (Cl.200-45) lamp or wall plug II are connected to post It and a circuitinterrupter ll, thus producing the make-and-break switch here'used. Tochange the switch to a breakand make device the contact member I6 iswired to plug II and that from I! to the outlet box I2 disconnected. Thewire from the interrupter i8 is disconnected from plug l5 and wired tothe post in the outlet box formerly connected to contact i I. Thus thedevice may be used independently of the alarm clock as will be explainedfurther on.

The interrupter It. consists of two parallel bars or blades joined inparallelism by a block at one end. The other extremities are mounted inposts insulated from each other and one bar is wired to plug i5. Thisbar carries on each side a contact point II to operate between spacedcontact points on contact members it and I1, the spacing beingsuiilcient, to leave a gap between the point on one side of theinterrupter and the contiguous point of a contact member when theinterrupter is in contact with the other contact member, either i6 orIT.

Mounted in the switch box i0 is a pivoted trip lever 20 designed tooperate the interrupter. This lever is pivoted intermediate itsextremities on a bracket 2!, the upper-end of which is adjacent avertical slot 22 in the end wall of the switch box Ill. An arm 23 of thetrip lever projects through this slot and to a point somewhat above thetop of the switch box. This arm is designed to be placed underneath onewing of an horizontally set winding element of an alarm clock. It isprovided transversely with a plurality of parallel indentations 24designed to permit adjustment of the arm to clocks of various sizes,thus stretching of spring 28 is prevented. When the device is used as aburglar alarm it rests on end 24 of arm 23. When so used, or when placedsidewise in a door frame, only a small portion of the arm 23 needproject above the top of the switch box.

The lower or inner end of the trip lever is bent to form an angularlateral 2!, which is normally contiguous to the upper and insulatedunwired blade of the interrupter, but is held out of operable contacttherewith, until the lever 20 is tripped, by an helical spring 26connected to the lever intermediate said 'lateral and the pivoted point.When thecwinderof the alarm clock rotates, the arm 23 is released, andthe lateral is consequently depressed by action of spring 26, thusbringing the underside contact point of the interrupter into contactwith the point on contact member II. This closes the circuit andenergizes the outlet box and any appliance, such as a radio, which maybe connected thereto.

The wiring plan shown in Figure is provided with a switch 21, to adaptthe device to make or break work and accomplish the same results as thewiring plan illustrated in Figure 4.

When this device is used in a door or window to serve as a burglaralarm, the alarm appliance to be connected to the outlet box may be abell, a light or a radio, as desired.

As different embodiments may be made of this inventive concept andmodifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown anddescribed, it will be understood that the matter herein is to beinterpreted as illustrative merely, and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

A switch comprising a base, a first pair of parallely spaced horizontalspring leaves serving as relatively stationary contacts, a second pairof parallely spaced horizontal spring leaves serving as a switch arm,one of said second pair of spring leaves being positioned between thespring leaves of the first pair and the other of said second pair ofspring leaves being positioned above and normally spaced from the upperspring leaf of the first pair, insulated means supportably engaging theinner ends of all of said leaves and insulating the same from eachother, the outer ends of said second pair of leaves extending outwardlybeyond the outer ends of said first pair of leaves, an insulated spacingblock connected to and between the outer ends of said second pair ofleaves whereby upon upward or downward movement of said second pair ofleaves move in unison, contact point means on the lower leaf of saidsecond pair exposed above and below said lower leaf for engagement withthe outer ends of the leaves of said first pair, said contact pointmeans being normally engaged with the outer end of the upper leaf ofsaid first pair, a bracket rising from said base to a level above saidpairs of leaves adjacent to the inner ends thereof, an actuating leverpivoted intermediate its ends on an upper part of said bracket providinga first arm having a portion overlying the upper leaf of said switch armand a second arm, releasable holding means adjacent said second armholding said lever positioned with said first arm spaced above saidswitch arm, and spring means operating between said first arm of saidactuating lever and said bracket to bias said first arm downwardly toengage and depress the upper leaf of said switch arm and depress saidswitch arm so as to disengage said contact point means from the uppercontact leaf of said first pair and engage said contact point means withthe lower contact leaf of said first pair when said holding means iswithdrawn from holding engagement with said second actuating lever arm.

- E. ELRICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 898,847 Dodson Sept. 15, 19081,122,261 Dean Dec. 29, 1914 1,372,437 Koch Mar, 22, 1921 1,470,323Hokanson Oct. 9, 1923 1,520,193 Manson Dec. 23, 1924 1,787,176Spitzglass Dec. 30, 1930 1,830,138 Smith et al. Nov. 3, 1931 1,875,801Bryce Sept. 6, 1932 1,938,155 Schultz Dec. 5, 1933 1,958,646 Snavely etal. May 15, 1934 1,964,268 Morgenstern June 26, 1934 2,039,194 SimonApr. 28, 1936 2,154,338 Knos Apr. 11, 1939 2,436,906 Svoboda Mar. 2,1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 80,601 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1919102,508 Australia Dec. 2, 1937

